The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1887-05-12
The State Chronicle
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HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF
How LcOnidas Tried to Hold Tho p
ThermOpylT.


lhermOpylT.
Leonldas was prominent editor of Sn,r-
ta, in the sweet long ago
HIS paper, the Palladium. WAS noted for
ITS opposition to the Interstate comn,.r,..,
OIL OF that period, and when the ohnnv
ious measure became law I.conidas was
as not AS II cook stove '
Like the law which is now distractinr
Sa ..Io liii'ioS OF the people of the United
'Lis ancient statute prohibited the iSsun of
of passes '''''' VI
just before the la began tod do its dead-
ly work Mr.. Nerves. president of thn Thnr
mopyla Railway Company, issued a circu-
lar, OF which the following is a copy.
lform 2?l 214-2, 900
THERMoPYL-E RAILWAY Co.
OFFICE OF Cor. W. II. NERxEs, President.
LocRIs, April 81, lso b. G.
DEAR SlR:-As you are aware, the inter
state commerce law, which goes into effect
on the 5th proSimo, forhids under severe
pehailes the issuing of free passes or the
honorlng OF those now issued.
You Will, therefore, return TO tho gau-
erd o1hces OF the Thermopylir Railway
Company the annual pass now issued in
yours name, as the same Will not be ayala-
pie Tor passage after the date named.
heSretting the necessity for issung this
circular, Deg to remain, yours faithfully.
WILLIAM HENRY NEKXEs.
frest and Gen'l Freight and Ticket Ap't.
when l-eonldas received this intimation
ne was even more wroth than when the
bill passed
he pass waSa young and beautiful one.
with the flgures 4SO in large gilt letters all
over the face, and Lconidas had not ey
hlblted 1t more than three times to the
admirlnS gaze of the conductors of the
line.
Then again the fishing season was about
to open, and he intended to take a run
down into Thessaly county every Saturday
after the paper had gone to press, and in.
duIge In the pleasant sport of azily drown
ing worms.
He had several other little excursions
piahned TOR the summer, one OF which
was to visit his girl in Ohio.
Leonldas was therefore sorrowful when
he learned that his nice new pass, which
was Just ready 20 bio som forth into a
career OF usefulness, had been cut down,
III lis fresh yonug beauty
lh@u ne made a brave resolution
ne resolved not to give it up but die in
its defense if necessary.
lie died, rs the sequel will show
Colonel AerXeS WIS determined TO see
the law enforced, and h,n l.eondas nrg
iected to rethrn the pass at the appointed
time, NerN"S sent a postal carl to INQUIRE
t he wherefore
i.eonldas replied that XelNcs might 90
TO fiailfaX, but NerXes went not
llallfaN was not on his line of road
He went for Leonidas ine cad havln.r
first called out the militia to ;,Ssist in tax
ing the pass from the angry ,,lltor.
The latter levied three hundred Pmkcr-
ton guards, armed with Remington rifles,
to defend the pass.
But it was Of 10 use.
AerXes captured the precious paste
board, but not until LeonidaS and all his
retalners but one had been sent to that
land where the wicked legislators cease
from troubling and he weary editor is at
rest
The man who escaped got back to Sparta
ard wrote an account of the iigh. for The
Palladium, which thus had il SCOOP Oh lis
contemporaries.
This little incident shows us that there
is nothing alarmingly original about tAc
Inter State Commerce law for passes were
called Ill more than 1900 years ago.
WM II SIyIrFR